


In Your Shadow

by Phoenix_of_Athena



Series: The one where the twins grow up together [1]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Love, Ficlet, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, I actually call o!Ciel "o!Ciel" in this, If we ever get his name I guess I'll change it, Kid Fic, Minor Character Death, Protective Siblings, Slight Violence, The Phantomhive Twins, but for now it stays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-25 20:16:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18170963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_of_Athena/pseuds/Phoenix_of_Athena
Summary: It is an accident, that o!Ciel learns the truth about his father's position as the Queen's Watchdog at a young age.  It is an accident that he finds out about his family legacy before Vincent has even told his brother the whole truth.  But o!Ciel has never been a fool.  He can put two and two together, and he realizes that inevitably, Ciel will take their father's place at the helm of the Evil Noblemen.But that doesn't mean that he will have to do it alone.





	In Your Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, this is super informally written, so don't expect a masterpiece of literature here. It's just an idea that I've had for freaking ages, but not something that I wanted to write an entire fleshed-out fic for, especially not now that I've got a major WIP that I'm already working on. (That, and the fact that we still don't know oCiel's name. It makes it awfully difficult to write anything about him, when I don't have anything to refer to him as.) I've been writing a lot lately, actually, working on Hold Close Your Light (And Don't Let Go), but that fic actually requires effort and a solid plot, and I wanted a break. So.  
> Um, I also wrote this pretty much on my phone while doing laundry, so let me know if y'all catch any major errors, please.

Things change, and o!Ciel learns the truth, on a day when r!Ciel is away in London with Lizzy’s family to see a play. O!Ciel is recovering from a recent bout of illness and has had to stay behind at home. Still, it’s not all bad, because for once he has his father all to himself, and he takes the opportunity to spend time with Vincent in the Earl’s study; Vincent is teaching him about how to set up contracts when there is a sudden commotion outside, and Tanaka’s voice is heard through the door:

“Lord Vincent, we have intruders!” 

Vincent is on his feet in an instant, o!Ciel in his arms, and he whispers, “I need you to be absolutely quiet, and don’t come out until I say so, no matter what,” as he tucks the boy into one of the cupboards on the wall behind the desk.  His expression is a more serious one than o!Ciel is used to seeing on his father's face, and so he promises as Vincent pushes the doors shut and spins around.  But one of the doors is left slightly ajar in his hurry, and o!Ciel watches through a crack as Vincent pulls a revolver from his desk drawer and the study door is slammed open. 

Outside, he can see that Tanaka has one assailant pinned against the wall with an arm to his throat, but another man barges in with a gun in his hand, aimed at his father—and Vincent shoots him first.  Straight through the head.  And there is a burst of blood, showering onto the floor and one side of the doorjamb. 

Outside, Tanaka lets the unconscious assailant drop, and steps over the body into the room, apologies on his lips for letting the men get so close.  He fusses over Vincent, brushing his hands over the Earl’s shoulders. 

“Are you unharmed, Lord Vincent?” the butler asks.

“I’m fine, Tanaka,” Vincent reassures, “All is well, neither of us were harmed.”

“Neither…?” 

And Vincent turns to the cupboard, drawing o!Ciel out and into his arms, and o!Ciel clings to him, buries his face in his father’s shoulder, tears on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry that you had to see that,” Vincent murmurs, “but it’s all right now, both Tanaka and I are fine, all is well.” 

And later, once o!Ciel has calmed, he asks, “Father, who were those people? Why were they trying to hurt you?” 

And Vincent tells him about the Queen’s Watchdog, about the Phantomhive legacy.  And o!Ciel asks, “Will Ciel have people trying to kill him too?” 

And Vincent says, “Yes, but not for a long time.  I intend to hold this position of mine for a long time, and I will always protect you and your brother.” 

But o!Ciel thinks, and…. 

“I want to help,” he says, “Ciel is always looking after me, but he’s going to be in danger all of the time.  I don’t want to be a burden.  I want to protect him too.” 

And Vincent looks so proud…and melancholy too, as he places a fond hand on o!Ciel’s head. 

“If that’s really what you want, then I’ll teach you,” he says, “so that you can protect your brother and help him in whatever way you can.” 

And Vincent will go on to teach o!Ciel how to shoot, and how to run a business when o!Ciel says that he wants to provide resources and connections for the future Watchdog. 

“You’ll never be able to do all of the things you brother is capable of,” he tells o!Ciel, “Your body just isn’t strong enough. But here,” he taps his son’s head, “you are completely capable of everything that he is.  If you choose to support him with your all, then I know that the two of you will grow up to be unstoppable.” 

While Ciel learns the sword from Aunt Francis, o!Ciel learns strategy at his father’s hand, and he learns management alongside his brother.  Vincent tells him stories, and tests him:

“What do you think I did next?”

“Who do you think was behind it, and how would you learn more?”

And, “How would you help your brother if he was the one trying to find the culprit?” 

And he teaches him a little about poisons, a little about subterfuge, about how to make contacts as Ciel plays outside with Lizzy and complains about his lessons about how to run the earldom. 

Ciel doesn’t know, yet, what his future holds, not entirely, but o!Ciel does.  And when o!Ciel is sick, so ill he can’t stand from his bed, Ciel is there to bring him tea and read to him from the Fenian Cycle.  They balance the chess board on his comforter and play until Sebastian bounds in and jostles Ciel, tipping the board.  They laugh, and Ciel puts a hand on o!Ciel’s forehead to check his temperature, and o!Ciel knows that he will do anything to protect this.  His brother, so strong and kind, will one day stand with one foot in the shadows, and o!Ciel will protect him, no matter what.  He will be his shadow, his chess master, his pawn, and even his body double if it calls for it.  O!Ciel will take care of his brother, as they grow up, like Ciel takes care of him.  He will not fail, no matter what it takes, and he will never leave his brother on his own, even if shady business deals take him away into the city, and even if Ciel doesn’t always know that he’s there.

 

**Author's Note:**

> *Whispers* In this AU the mansion isn't burned down. Their parents aren't killed (that young, at least), and the twins never end up in the hands of the cult. There are no demons, but there are shinigami. rCiel becomes the Watchdog, and oCiel watches his back. Ciel marries Lizzy, and oCiel has his toy company and business contacts across Europe because of it. He still becomes friends with Soma, who he finds ridiculously overbearing and enthusiastic, but the friendship is more genuine and less stilted. Soma and Agni continue to keep in contact with him even after they finally return home, and as the years go by they manage to remain frequent visitors in oCiel's home. oCiel doesn't go with his father and brother when they travel to Germany on a case for the queen, but he is there to help comfort the young girl that they bring back with them. Sieglinde is distraught over losing Wolf, and clings to this calm, quiet boy with gentle words who also grew up unable to run and play, and who has just as much fondness as she does for the worlds revealed in books.  
> The Undertaker lurks in the background, providing information for the price of a laugh, and he and oCiel have a fair working relationship if not any real fondness between them (at least on oCiel's part). rCiel is unaccountably fond of the man, he thinks, unable to understand just why his brother likes the strange mortician so much.  
> But, most importantly, the twins are together, and they are happy, as happy as they can be in any life where they're born into a family as evil as theirs. They grow up together, and they grow old as dear friends. And they can't even imagine a life where they do otherwise.


End file.
